Starting School

There are many emotions and thoughts spinning around in my head as the first day of school for my firstborn nears! It seems such a momentous step for Ethan, he is certainly growing up. I am not sure that he is ready, in many ways he is not. He is still not toilet trained despite my best efforts over the past few months. Eli picked up the skill in about a week, but for Ethan it is very difficult. I am a paediatric O.T., if anyone has skills to toilet train a child with autism it should be me.
His speech is somewhat unclear and difficult to understand for those unfamiliar with him and his oral idiosyncracies. Ethan has made remarkable gains in speech since he had grommets inserted in October 2009, but he is still so very far behind his peers. I fear the other children will not be able to understand him and that he will be too unresponsive, and that they will give up on trying to communicate with him.
He has motor delays and a lot of kinder skills are a great challenge for him.
BUT he is interested in other children, he is readily attempting to communicate verbally and nonverbally, and his attention is much more sustained thanks largely to Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) therapy he has had over the past 6 months. He enjoys structure and routine and I think he likes a challenge, and enjoys learning. He loves to sing and listen to stories in a group format. He might be ok!
I think he is ready for the structure and increased demand of a school environment. My hope is that increased exposure to his peers and their language and social skills will assist his development in these core areas. If he continues to have fine and gross motor difficulties life will be harder for him, but if he can develop good social skills and communication, his future will be so much brighter!
I have written a social story entitled "Ethan is going to big school" which he loves. He seems to be anticipating starting school - most mornings he has a tantrum when he asks "I go big school today?" and I say "no big school today". He is looking forward to it, whatever his concept of school is. We are as prepared as I know how, at least in terms of what I can control. Uniform, backpack, cushion for rest time, lunch box, drink bottle, social story... I guess in another week and a half we will see how prepared Ethan really is!